The present invention relates in general to the field of surgical appliances, and in particular, to a gastrostomy catheter implantable through a stoma in the abdominal and stomach walls for feeding a patient by delivery of nourishment or other fluids directly into the stomach.
Certain medical conditions require the continuous or repeated percutaneous introduction to bodily organs or tissues of substances such as nutrients, e.g., glucose or drugs. For example, some patients because of injury, malignancy, birth defects or nerve damage may not be able to swallow or otherwise accept nourishment by normal feeding. For this purpose a surgical opening referred to as a stoma is made through the abdominal wall into the stomach. A percutaneous transport tube, referred to herein as a gastrostomy catheter, is inserted through the stoma and used to supply nutrients or other fluids directly into the stomach.
Conventional gastrostomy catheters have a feeding tube which is implanted by surgery through the abdominal wall with the end of the tube terminating directly within the patient's stomach. The gastrostomy catheter is held in place by an inflatable balloon positioned adjacent to the discharge end of the feeding tube. The feeding tube is connected to a movable retention disc which is retained overlying the stoma in the patient's abdominal wall through which the feeding tube has been implanted. Conventional gastrostomy catheters typically include a pair of passageways respectively communicating with the interior of the feeding tube and inflatable balloon.
During use of the gastrostomy catheter, it may be required to reposition the orientation of the feeding tube and/or passageways which has previously been achieved by rotating the retention disc. Owing to the small size and disc-like shape of the retention disc, manipulation could only be achieved by pressing one's fingers into the abdominal wall under the retention disc in order to sufficiently engage the retention disc for rotation. However, this has the potential to lead to the infection of the stoma site as a result of bacteria present on one's fingers. Infection of the stoma site in this manner can also occur during removal of the gastrostomy catheter after patient recovery.
The known design of these retention discs is such to receive connection via respective inlet ports to a feeding tube set for the delivery of nutrients and to a syringe for inflation of the catheter's balloon. The arrangement of these connections has to date been such to cause interference with the feeding tube set during minimal patient activity. In addition, the connection of a syringe to the inflation inlet port has frequently resulted in interference with the patient's abdominal wall requiring manipulation of the retention disc by one's fingers which, once again, has the tendency for potential infection at the stoma site.
Accordingly, there is an unsolved need for a gastrostomy catheter which overcomes the hereinbefore disadvantages resulting from the construction of the known gastrostomy catheters, and which provides advantages during use which have hereinbefore been unknown.